The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas · Page 7

Page 7 article text (OCR)

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1955 B1.YTHKV1U.E (ARK.) COURIER NEWS SEVER' Charity's Headache: Big Pubiic Revolt By JAMES G. CROSSLEY NBA Stafl Correspondent CLEVELAND — (NBA) — It's a hard job giving away money. In £act, people from 21 states spent half a week here going, to school about it. They sought ways to make it less of a problem and more effective. "The blind beggar of past ages asking for alms—he's the one who started all this—" said Ruhlman, but he got 100 per cent of the gift. There was no three per cent or whatever can be grabbed by the men in the 'boiler room.'" The boiler room, where professional "phonemen" sit calling each name In the classified phone direc- •ory, was under lire throughout. • • • This problem is most complex because the charity itself may be a worthy one. The method is questionable. Are you an E. M. or a T. D.? Daniel N. Casey, C. of C. secretary from Harrisburg, Pa., revealed that "tap lists" circulate from hand to hand among the profession^ fly-by-night promoters. They're valuable. Each card has code initials in the Industry, chambers of commerce, Beuer Business Bureaus and charity organizations were represented. It's not that anyone opposes charity. That's one of the problems. Businesmen are generous but gullible. "They're afraid to ask the man with the tin cup any questions," is the way Randall M. Ruhlman, Cleveland Chamber of Commerce secretary and host to the meeting, puts it. The conference agreed that donations are an important part of the American way and one of the best evidences of man's humanity to man. • * • Last year American generosity provided $5,400,000,000 in answer to appeals for others in trouble. That was 35 per cent more than was collected six years ago. Of this, corporations gave $400,000,000. The conference here was an attempt to peer through the chaos of the tremendous expanse of charity appeals and find some rules that might make their job of picking and sorting simpler. Here are some of the problems experienced by cities, large and There is a multiplicity of appeals. Once crowded into one basket, the Community Chest, new campaigns •prout weekly. The conference particularly deplored the "nuclear fission" of emergency campaigns which follow regular campaigns. Everyone is deathly afraid of •battering the confidence of the public in charity campaigns. This fear envelops the five million volunteer workers who collect as wel as those who give. "We are threatened with a grade- A revolt," says Ruhlman. "Philanthropy can become philatrophy." The funds raised In 1954 were 66 million less than that of 1953. • "The total has not kept up with the inflation of the dollar," P. Emerson Andrews of the Russell Sage Foundation told the meeting. Another problem is the .growth of the implied threat in obtaining *- contributions. •It's not only scaring the daylights out of parents about their children drews. becoming "The factory threatened with loss of his Job status, a businessman may fear the loss of important customers and an executive may pay a heavy price for saying 'no.'" Unordered merchandlie sent through the malls, marathon radio and TV gags, fireman-polictman- postman - milkman "walks" and mothers' parades were targets lor criticism. Of all the problems, the hardest to cope with is the "three per cent racketeer," the suave talker who walks into a town, borrows a charity organization and raises money for it and himself through questionable methods. T. D. is "turned down." E. M. s "easy mark." There are others Including Q. P. U. meaning "good prospect but send a messenger to pick up his money while he's hot" and S. T. M. —"He can be relied on to put his check in the mail after he promises to. do so." » • • Also deplored were: Sponsor lists on letter heads — in one survey, half didn't know their names were used. Christmas drives for orphans — "Charity racketeers love orphans. If they went to all the parties they are supposed to at Christmas they'd never have time to wash their grubby litle faces." Out of the conference came the realization that there is need for even more charity, though channels may be changing. Great strides are needed In mental health with half of our hospital beds filled with mental cases. 80 per cent of which might have been avoided with proper treatment. Alcoholism is another wide open field. Educational institutions, tendons in our nation's physique, need help badly. Even though It is true that a millionaire cannot escape being a benefactor of our present charities, the nation donates less than the amount spent for tobacco, the conference was told. The potential is tremendous. If the industry alone donated the five per cent allowed in tax deductions, their gift would total two billions. Will It get any easier to give away money wisely The conclusion was that givers must be educatec to see that their money goes to,essential services, that the Community Chest must be protected at nil costs and that racketeers can be frightened away from informed anc vigilant communities. 'BOILER ROOM' FUND RAISER: Prnfesslonal fly-by-nlght pro- molars who work with a telephone are a bane to charily groupl. Sectnd Lt. Sum P Hamra, Jr., whose parents live in Steele, is a member of the 70th Armored Field Artillery Battalion ir. Germany. Lieutenant Hamra, a 1954 graduate of the University of Missouri, is forward observer in the battalion's Battery C. He entered the Army in August, 1954, completed basic training at Fort Sill. Okla.. and arrived in Europe in January of this year. Jose de San Martin, who played a leading part in helping Argentina. Chile, and Peru, become in . , dependent of Spain, was called the News ol Men In the Service Army PFC Bill D. Chilton. brother of Robert Chilton, 505 Beckwith. Ave., Caruthersville. is a member of the 172(1 Military Police Battalion in Korea. Chilton, a security guard with Company B of the battalion, entered the Army in July, 1953. and arrived overseas in June, 1054. He is a graduate of Caruthersville High School. completed basic training at Cam; Chaffee, Ark. Buchanan is a 1951 graduate o Blytheville High School. Pfc. Billy J. Davidson, son o Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Davidson o Joiner, is serving with the 4th Ma rine Regiment at the Marine Corp Air Station at Kaneohe Bay, T. H The regiment, ground element o the 1st Provisional Marine Ai Ground Task Force, arrived her in February 'from Japan. For the next six months, the 41 Marines will participate with Ma rine Air. Group 13 in coordinate air-ground maneuvers on the i lands of Hawaii. Maui and Kaual Pvt. James L. Wright, IB, so of J. C. Wright, Manila, recent spent a week's leave in Toky ! from his unit in Korea. Private Wright is a cleric Company A of the llth Enginee Battalion. eH arrived In the Pa East in August, 1954. Wright entered the Army In Se; tember, 1953, and completed bas training at Fort Leonard Wooi Mo. He is a graduate of Mant High School. PFC Johnny E. Buchanan, son of Mr. and Mrs. William E. Buchanan, 1005 N. Sixth St., Blytheville, is among 26.1)00 soldiers Elated to participate .n Exercise Apple Jack during May at the Yakima Firing Center iiear Fort Lewis, Wash. Private First Class Buchanan, a member of Headquarters Company of the 2d Infantry Division's 37th Field. Artillery Battalion, entered I the Army in December, 1953, and week's leave In Tokyo trom his nit in Korea. Corporal Branch. ? stenographer ilh the filOId Army Unit, entered e Army in April, 1953. and com- eted basic training at Fort Rl- y, Kan. A 1991 graduate ol Kennett High chool, he attended Freed-Harde- rcan College in Henderson, Tenn •vt. Howard Hood, son of Mrs. D, Hood, Hayli, recently was raduated from the Seventh Army 'on-Commissioned Officer Acade- ij 1 in Munich, Germany. A truck driver assigned to Bat' ery C of the 5th Infantry Dlvis- on's Uth Field Artillery Battalion, e successfully completed a five- •eek course in leadership, map- ending and other military sub ects. Hood, who attended Haytl High chool, entered the Army In July, C/TTLf LIZ— When children ore quiet _ H doesn't meon ihey o'e planning mischief — they've probably ol ready don? It. ««'*• 1954. He completed basic training at Camp Chnffee, Ark., and ar rived In Europe In November. 195-1 SOUTHWESTERN BELL TELEPHONE CO PFC J. A. McCormlck, 24, who wife. Inez, lives on Route Blytheville, Is playing baseball Japan with the 99th Armored Fie Artillery aBltallon o' Camp Drake. Private First Class McCormlck, who plays in his off duty hours, Is a section chief in Battery A. He entered the Army In January, 1054, and arrived overseas last June. Cpl. William A. Branch. 32, son of Mrs. Erma M. Branch, 2014 Harris St., Kennett, recently spent Two for th« prlco ot «n.l Buy RCA Victor's exciting new 21-inch Dorrance now— and we'll give you a custom-styled matching stand FREE! It's a $14.95 value! Cut you muM act now. Our supply is limited. Come in or call in today. Easy credit terms. RCA Victor 21 -Inth Dorrance. Sleek ebon/ finish. Model 215510. Free Hand aho available wilh Model 21S51l,moroon finish. You a«t all thai* RCA Victor Advances Now Ovonlio Picture Tubo — not small 21 — not regular 21— but the biggest picture in 21-inch TV1 "All-Clear" Plcturo— it's TV's dearest picture. Aluminiied picture tube gives you 212% greater picture contrast! Now "Ma»l< Monitor" choult— automatically ties clearest picture to finest sound for peak performance. 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